Hillsborough County, FL Courts and Public Records

The Circuit Court and County Court of Hillsborough County serve as the county's trial courts in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. Circuit Court handles felonies, family matters including juvenile cases, and probate, while County Court handles misdemeanors, traffic, small claims, county civil, and evictions.

Have the full name, case number if known, and approximate dates ready before you search. Records are kept by the county's Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller.

Hillsborough County's Circuit and County Courts together received 187,082 filings and disposed of 212,101 cases in FY 2024-25. Total filings fell 6.7% from 200,414 in FY 2023-24.

The biggest driver of the change was civil filings, which fell by 18,176 cases (-14.1%) from FY 2023-24.

This table covers the five most recent fiscal years for Hillsborough County. Published years are shown as reported; earlier years marked with ~ are estimates based on the statewide trend and this county's latest published figures.

Across the two fiscal years reported, total filings fell by 13,332 cases, or 6.7%, from 200,414 to 187,082. The biggest driver was county civil filings, which fell by 20,245 cases (-16.9%). Dispositions fell 19.1%, from 262,114 to 212,101.

Chart note: a line chart of filings versus dispositions would run from oldest to newest, with years marked ~ as estimates.

Civil cases make up the largest share of Hillsborough County filings at 59.0% of the 187,082 filed in FY 2024-25.

Circuit civil filings grew fastest at +24.3%, while county civil filings changed most negatively at -16.9%.

Hillsborough County accounted for 5.2% of the 3,628,225 filings statewide in FY 2024-25. Its filings fell 6.7% while statewide filings rose 1.1%.

Hillsborough County has a higher criminal share and a lower civil share of filings than Florida overall. Filings per 1,000 residents are 23.8% below the state, and total filings changed -6.7% compared with +1.1% statewide.

These figures are Florida statewide totals as reported to the FBI, not counts for Hillsborough County. Agency reporting may be incomplete, and county crime counts are not available here. Statewide violent and property crimes combined fell 10.0% from 2024 to 2025. In 2025, reporting agencies covered about 83.8% of Florida's population, so year-over-year changes can partly reflect which agencies reported.

Rates use the Florida 2025 population of 23,462,518. County-level rates are not published, so this section does not compare Hillsborough County with the state.

Hillsborough County Circuit and County Court proceedings are held at 1 courthouse location in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. Check your notice or case paperwork to confirm the courthouse assigned to your case before you go.

Addresses and phone numbers come from public directory listings and may change, so confirm them with the Clerk of Court or the Florida courts website before you visit.

In Hillsborough County, Circuit Court and County Court handle different case types. Federal cases go to the Middle District of Florida, and some matters go to other agencies.

Yes, most Hillsborough County court records are public, with exceptions set by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.420.

Public records

Florida's rule gives the public access to all judicial branch records except those the rule makes confidential or exempt.

Restricted or confidential records

Juvenile delinquency records and Chapter 39 dependency records are among the categories the rule lists as confidential. Sealed records are not available without a court order.

Online access

The Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com offers online access to some records, and access depends on case type. Online results may not include every document.

In-person access

Visit or call the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller in Hillsborough County to view or request records that are not available online.

Fees

No fee schedule was verified for Hillsborough County. Ask the clerk about copy and certified copy fees before you request records.

Use the statewide e-filing portal and the county clerk to search Hillsborough County court cases by case type, and request documents that are not online from the clerk.

1. Identify the case type, such as criminal, traffic, civil, small claims, family law, probate, or juvenile.
2. Open the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com for civil case documents, or MyFloridaCounty.com for citation payments.
3. Search by party name or case number and note the case number from the results.
4. Review the case details, such as status and parties, in the portal.
5. Contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller to request documents that are not online.

Traffic citations in Hillsborough County can be paid online or by phone through statewide systems, and some citations can be placed on a payment plan.

1. Online: Pay traffic citations at MyFloridaCounty.com with the citation number. Some citations are not eligible, such as those that require proof of compliance or a court appearance.
2. Phone: Pay with a major card through the MyFloridaCounty traffic phone system. Check the citation for eligibility first.
3. Payment plan: Request a payment plan within the deadline set by the clerk. Missing the deadline can lead to license suspension.
4. Criminal fines and court costs: Pay at myfloridacounty.com/courtpay, the statewide court payment page.

Parking tickets are paid to the issuing city or county parking office, not through this court's traffic process.